Food intolerance includes, but is not limited to, food protein enteropathy and food protein enterocolitis/proctitis (G. Vighi, et al 2008, Caubet et al 2011). Irritable bowel syndrome is sometimes caused by food intolerance.
The symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome can vary significantly from person to person. A partial listing of irritable bowel syndrome symptoms includes:
Abdominal pain
Abdominal distention, bloating, gas, indigestion
Constipation
Diarrhea, chronic or occasional
Food allergy is most often attributed to IgE antibodies with antigenic specificity for specific foods (Granato and Piguet 1986; Wang et al 2010). Foods normally induce local intestinal mucosal production of IgA and IgM (Shimoda et al 1999). Food intolerance and allergy are associated with deficiency in IgA (Walker et al 1999, Harrison et al 1976). It has been hypothesized that food antigen IgA may competitively bind to food antigens, and thereby protect the subject from reacting to that food with an allergic response (Possin et al 2010). Food antigen specific IgA is found in the blood plasma (Vojdani 2009, Trajkovski 2008). Food allergy is associated with a relative decrease in food antigen specific IgA in the intestines (Frossard C P at al 2004). Application of antigen-specific IgA to the respiratory mucosa in mice prevents increased airway hyperreactivity in allergic asthma (Schwarze et al 1998; U.S. Pat. No. 5,670,626). Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammation of the large intestine. There is decreased mucosal IgA in the intestinal mucosa of patients with ulcerative colitis (Cicalese et al 1995). Food antigen challenge in the presence of Staphylococcal enteroxin B has been shown to induce ulcerative colitis in a mouse disease model (Yang 2005). Non-IgE mediated food intolerance is also known to exist and be most common in infants and young children due to ingested dietary proteins such as those found in cow's milk and soy protein creating profound discomfort. While non-IgE mediated food allergy is rarely life threatening, it can cause significant morbidity in rapidly growing infants and young children. (Jyonouchi, 2008).
The prior art failed to explore orally administered IgAs or IgMs as a potential medicament for the treatment of food allergy and food intolerance.
Thus, there exists a need for an IgA therapeutic or an IgM therapeutic for the treatment of food allergy and food intolerance. There also exists a need to provide such a therapeutic in a dosing form well suited for treating an affected subject.